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New Tyres and their Markings....


Tony
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All new tyres have visible coloured markings forming a radial band on the tyre. Several of these markings represent destination between the manufacture and the recipient.... Cars like Lexus require specific compounds so the radial markings do indeed allow the process to become visible and act like a bar code.

 

But there is also important information held within those lines that most consumers and tyre centres are not aware of, in particular the position of the outer line (colour does vary).....

 

post-2-1204722093.jpg

 

Depending on how the belts are positioned during construction imperfections will allow the casing and the tyre tread to 'run out'. This disparity allows the compression to steer the tyre laterally regardless of any actions taken by the driver thus generate a pull.

 

The manufacture measures the degree of run out and marks the severity onto the tyre by the position of the outer band, typically the colour is Red or Blue, if the colour band is central then the run out is considered 0, if the band is toward the outer edge the tyre will need a 'reactive' partner to belay any pull. So the positions are vital to you and your car.... example

 

post-2-1204722173.jpg

 

Realising this problem then it's easy to conclude if the tyres are symmetrical in tread construction, if the tyres are asymmetrical or directional then the centre will need to find a suitable match with an opposite reactive lateral partner....... Their problem not yours......

 

So next time you buy tyres have a look for the banding and decide what match you want..... remember most centres will have no idea of your request due to misunderstanding and lack of knowledge so you need to be wise.

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Gee, thanks Tony, all these snippets of info will make me look at tyre fitters in a new light, and to make sure that they do their job correctly.

 

I gave my car 4 new Pilots for Christmas, and find them quieter than the Bridgestones, with no less grip :D

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Gee, thanks Tony, all these snippets of info will make me look at tyre fitters in a new light, and to make sure that they do their job correctly.

 

I gave my car 4 new Pilots for Christmas, and find them quieter than the Bridgestones, with no less grip :D

 

This type of information i hope in time will make the wim forum a place to go when seeking 'advice or knowledge' .... similar to the wim web site but active.... and re-active, this i feel is good for everyone.

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wow nice bit of infomation, makes a lot of sence, i must admit to not knowing this, i just thought the bands were for the factory use, although i do fit tyres with the bands on the outside purely for looks so i guess the result has been the same all along, never had a car with brand new tyres on coming back with a pull. i wonder how many centres have sent tyres back to the manufactorer as faulty.

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wow nice bit of information, makes a lot of sence, i must admit to not knowing this, i just thought the bands were for the factory use, although i do fit tyres with the bands on the outside purely for looks so i guess the result has been the same all along, never had a car with brand new tyres on coming back with a pull. i wonder how many centres have sent tyres back to the manufacturer as faulty.

 

Dan we have about 5 cars a month complain the car is pulling to one side after new tyres are fitted, and that's just one centre....... even i cannot Police the conduct and attitude of the fitters if they don't want to listen and respect the information.

 

In Research i have contacted other independent tyre companies and non of them knew what the markings meant. So it can be assumed that this problem is country wide........... oh by the way the bigger UK companies would not comment :P

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  • 2 weeks later...
interesting reading :D

 

 

what if there are two bands

 

<<<<<<< as in over there

Just to make life complicated different manufacturers use different lateral drift colours... if in your case the bands or similar in position then it's just a case of positioning as a mirror image.... But if they are directional tyres like yours then the tyre centre has to find a correct match.

 

Why have run out strips that go one way or another. Is it to balance already worn tyres on the vehicle when only replacing one or two tyres or something else?

Good question, i don't know ;) if only one tyre was being fitted it would be wise for the fitter to position the lateral drift toward the road crown...

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  • 1 year later...
That is a cracking bit of knowledge that :D

 

Sure is and it's one of the first things I mention to members on MEG now when they complain about drifting/pulling.

 

Unfortunately I've noticed that alot of garages don't seem to understand what they're for or how to use them, even online tyre sellers have sent me tyres with the band on the same side! :thumbsup_anim:

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  • 3 weeks later...
If I understand this site

http://customwheelsmarket.com/tirwheelbal.html

correctly the lines can be used as a guide during balancing so that any run out can be compensated for and therefore negated. Comments?

 

post-2-1187881711.jpg

 

The dots on the sidewall typically denote unformity and weight. It's impossible to manufacture a tyre which is perfectly balanced and perfectly manufactured in the belts. As a result, all tyres have a point on the tread which is lighter than the rest of the tyre - a thin spot if you like. It's fractional - you'd never notice it unless you used tyre manufacturing equipment to find it, but its there. When the tyre is manufactured, this point is found and a coloured dot is put on the sidewall of the tyre corresponding to the light spot. Typically this is a yellow dot (although some manufacturers use different colours just to confuse us) and is known as the weight mark. Typically the yellow dot should end up aligned to the valve stem on your wheel and tyre combo. This is because you can help minimize the amount of weight needed to balance the tyre and wheel combo by mounting the tire so that its light point is matched up with the wheel's heavy balance point. Every wheel has a valve stem which cannot be moved so that is considered to be the heavy balance point for the wheel.

As well as not being able to manufacture perfectly weighted tyres, it's also nearly impossible to make a tyre which is perfectly circular. By perfectly circular, I mean down to some nauseating number of decimal places. Again, you'd be hard pushed to actually be able to tell that a tyre wasn't round without specialist equipment. Every tyre has a high and a low spot, the difference of which is called radial runout. Using sophisticated computer analysis, tyre manufacturers spin each tyre and look for the 'wobble' in the tyre at certain RPMs. It's all about harmonic frequency (you know - the frequency at which something vibrates, like the Tacoma Narrows bridge collapse). Where the first harmonic curve from the tyre wobble hits its high point, that's where the tyre's high spot is. Manufacturers typically mark this point with a red dot on the tyre sidewall, although again, some tyres have no marks, and others use different colours. This is called the uniformity mark. Correspondingly, most wheel rims are also not 100% circular, and will have a notch or a dimple stamped into the wheel rim somewhere indicating their low point. It makes sense then, that the high point of the tyre should be matched with the low point of the wheel rim to balance out the radial runout.

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  • 2 years later...

And this ladies and gentleman is why i now get my tyres from tony as well as my alignments. I have only just stumbled upon this thread (linked from another current one) and this information answers a lot of questions i had, but never got round to asking. It makes complete sense and to be honest its rather shocking that tyre fitters may not have this knowledge. Its a small thing that if overlooked can have a big affect on your car !

 

Great insight mate - nice one :D

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That has got to be one of the best pieces of information regarding tyres... :) its clear to understand and very informative...even i know what all the sidewall markings are for and what the tread strips are for.... :D :lol:

 

I only ever come to WIM/Blackboots for geometry and tyres as they are the only ones i have faith in doing the job properly and also the great service and dedication you receive from them all...

 

With my previous Lexus IS200 sport i had alot of problems with regards to tyres etc and with knowledge from Tony and telling me how and what occurs during driving with specific tyres and all those markings on them,im now in a much better position to understand and appreciate the whole field of tyres,where 3-4 years ago i didnt have a clue.!! :)

I even fell in a better position myself to explain to people what the markings are for...

 

This is also the case with chassis dynamics and geometry learnt and understood by myself from Tony...im one happy customer and friend. :D :(

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Next rounds on me barman....... :blush02:

Next rounds on me Tony ! :blush: The amount of dedication and effort you have put into getting my old Lexus driving great again...allbeit until she was sold. :lol: :D

 

BUT

 

I will be back and pestering you when i get a new steed.!! ( after my corsa has gone.) :lmaosmiley: :lol:

Just save me penny`s for a bit first.! :D

 

Might even look into doing a course and learning more about cars,chassis dynamics etc in the very near future... :D Its got me wanting to learn more. Im after a fresh challenge in life..!!!!

But in all seriousness,i feel very confident in explaining to my friends,relatives etc how things like geo,chassis dynamics and tyres affect cars in different ways...and all because i spent time learning and listening to you...so take credit Tony in makeing a mere numpty like me know alot more about cars.! :lol: :D

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Oh wow!......... I think i hear you and i know you understand "prat fit" has no idea what chassis calibration means, even a smattering of real knowledge on this topic offers an edge on the competitors. My advice to everyone is don't try to encompass the entire calibration topic, rather to encompass the area within the region you serve and stay alert.

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  • 6 months later...

 

The dots on the sidewall typically denote unformity and weight. It's impossible to manufacture a tyre which is perfectly balanced and perfectly manufactured in the belts. As a result, all tyres have a point on the tread which is lighter than the rest of the tyre - a thin spot if you like. It's fractional - you'd never notice it unless you used tyre manufacturing equipment to find it, but its there. When the tyre is manufactured, this point is found and a coloured dot is put on the sidewall of the tyre corresponding to the light spot. Typically this is a yellow dot (although some manufacturers use different colours just to confuse us) and is known as the weight mark. Typically the yellow dot should end up aligned to the valve stem on your wheel and tyre combo. This is because you can help minimize the amount of weight needed to balance the tyre and wheel combo by mounting the tire so that its light point is matched up with the wheel's heavy balance point. Every wheel has a valve stem which cannot be moved so that is considered to be the heavy balance point for the wheel.

As well as not being able to manufacture perfectly weighted tyres, it's also nearly impossible to make a tyre which is perfectly circular. By perfectly circular, I mean down to some nauseating number of decimal places. Again, you'd be hard pushed to actually be able to tell that a tyre wasn't round without specialist equipment. Every tyre has a high and a low spot, the difference of which is called radial runout. Using sophisticated computer analysis, tyre manufacturers spin each tyre and look for the 'wobble' in the tyre at certain RPMs. It's all about harmonic frequency (you know - the frequency at which something vibrates, like the Tacoma Narrows bridge collapse). Where the first harmonic curve from the tyre wobble hits its high point, that's where the tyre's high spot is. Manufacturers typically mark this point with a red dot on the tyre sidewall, although again, some tyres have no marks, and others use different colours. This is called the uniformity mark. Correspondingly, most wheel rims are also not 100% circular, and will have a notch or a dimple stamped into the wheel rim somewhere indicating their low point. It makes sense then, that the high point of the tyre should be matched with the low point of the wheel rim to balance out the radial runout.

 

Very interesting and helpful,but as usual nothing is straight forward for me!

On my new set of tyres,i have a red dot on 3 tyres and a yellow dot on one-which is the tyre that`s pulling,so may be able to do something about that one.

However, i cannot find a notch on any of my steel wheel rims to match up to the red dots!

In this situation what do you recommend?

 

Also,if you can find all the dots,like in your illustration, when you line one of the dots up to either the valve or the rim notch,surely one is going to be lined up correctly and the other not?

Do you compromise in this case and what is the best compromise?

Cheers

Mel

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  • 2 years later...

Tony and his yeam are the only people I know who actually know about these marks. I always ask my local fitter (as I am 200 miles from Tony unfortunately) to put the yellow dot near the valve and double check that the new tyres have symmetrical lines that go around the wheel as in the picture. You only have to look at new fitted tyres on cars to see that the marks are way off, yet 100grams of weights are stuck on the inside to compensate. .....

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...
  • 3 months later...

Just wanted to drop in and add a footnote to this topic  - almost all the info was lifted from my site at http://www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible_pg2.html - there's a bunch more info there if you're interested, on all manner of topics. I don't mind that it's been reproduced here but a nod to the source would have been nice.... :)

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